Not much credit is
given to Wash
by your peers. TR's have the best record in the AL even though they're starting three minor
leaguers in the rotation. Seems Wash
has really developed as a top manager in MLB, though little is said about what
he's accomplished this year. Your thoughts?

Evan Grant: I
think too often fans focus on what players and managers don't do, instead of
what they do. Washington
runs a great clubhouse and guys enjoy playing for him. That is the hardest task
a manager faces these days - keeping players happy and feeling invested and
keeping malcontents from developing in the clubhouse who can poison the
atmosphere. Is he a great game manager? When a game comes down to one decision,
I think he doesn't always play the percentages and that maybe puts him at a
little bit of a theoretic disadvantage, but there have already been a handful
of times this year when he's seemed to go against conventional wisdom that it
has worked out. And supposedly you have to manage a lot more in NL-rules games.
Well, the Rangers winning percentage under NL rules since Washington
arrived is second-best among all AL
teams. It's time people gave the guy credit. He's done a fantastic job. Does he
have weaknesses. Yes. All players and managers do. But his assets outweigh his
liabilities and it's not all that close.

Wash takes some heat
for his moves, but he deserves a lot of credit for a move he made against the
Cardinals Sunday by removing Tepesch, who was pitching well, before the
Cardinals' order saw him for the third time. Agree?

Evan Grant: He
let Tepesch face I think five hitters a third time and allowed him one more
batter after he put two men on with one out. It's an example of him giving
Tepesch a chance to work out of the jam and Tepesch getting a big out that may
pay dividends in terms of confidence down the road. And then he went to the
left-hander when he had a lefty-lefty matchup

Is Ian Kinsler an
outfielder in 2014?

Evan Grant: I
don't think so. I think, if anything, Profar makes the full-time switch for the
foreseeable future. Kinsler has done nothing to lose the position. Profar has
the ability to learn the new position and then, when the time is right, he can
move back to the infield.

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